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Postal Policy-Making News
Sign the Petition
Save the Postal Service!
(05/06/13) The APWU is asking union members and supporters to sign an
online petition urging the White House to Save the Postal Service and
Save American Jobs by supporting the Postal Service Protection Act
(H.R. 630 in the House and S. 316 in the Senate). The We the People petition
must garner 100,000 signers by May 24 to generate a response from the
White House. We still need more than 80,000 additional signatures!
[read more]
Eight More U.S. Reps.
Co-sponsor Postal
Service Protection Act
(05/02/13) In the past week, eight more members of the U.S. House of
Representatives became co-sponsors of the Postal Service Protection Act
(H.R. 630), a bill that would help solve the USPS financial crisis without
hurting workers or mail service.
[read
more]
Sign the Petition
To Save the Postal Service
(04/26/13) The APWU is asking union members and supporters to sign an online petition urging
the White House to Save the Postal Service and Save American Jobs by supporting
the Postal Service Protection Act (H.R. 630 in the House / S. 316 in the Senate).
The We the People petition, which was posted by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR),
must garner 100,000 signers by May 24 to generate a response from the White House. “So
sign the petition!” said Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid.
[read
more]
Postal Service Protection Act
Gains Support in Congress
(04/25/13) Legislation to restore financial health to the U.S. Postal
Service has gained more support in Congress, thanks in large part to
the efforts of APWU members who have contacted lawmakers. As of April
24, 20 senators and 120 representatives have signed on as co-sponsors
of the Postal Service Protection Act (S. 316 in the Senate, H.R. 630
in the House). [read
more]
Watch Your Mail, Tell Congress:
America Needs
Real Postal Reform NOW!
(04/17/12) "Our fight is at a critical juncture,” APWU President
Cliff Guffey is telling union members. “After several failed attempts
at postal reform, Congressional leaders are again negotiating over the
terms of a postal reform bill,” Guffey said. “In the meantime,
the USPS is proceeding with plans to dismantle the Postal Service — closing
mail processing centers, slashing hours at post offices, and reducing
service,” he added. [read more]
APWU President: ‘Congress
Is Killing the Postal Service’
Union Calls on USPS
To Postpone Consolidations
(04/11/13)“Congress is killing the Postal Service,” President
Cliff Guffey declared on April 10. “Its failure to act is pushing
the Postal Service to the brink of bankruptcy and threatens to destroy
the institution,” he said. “While Saturday mail delivery
has dominated recent discussions about the Postal Service, little attention
has been paid to other drastic measures the USPS is taking that will
significantly delay mail and permanently damage the nation’s
mail system,” he remarked after the USPS Board of Governors announced
it was backing off plans to end delivery of letters and periodicals
on Saturdays. [read
more]
Privatization
Merits
‘Serious Consideration,’ Panel Says
(04/02/12) The National Academy of Public Administration, an organization
chartered by Congress to provide advice to government leaders, recently
evaluated a proposal to privatize all postal operations except delivery
and concluded the idea “merits serious consideration.” Although
it doesn’t quite endorse the proposal to privatize, the review gives
a sense of legitimacy to privatization, which up to now has been dismissed
as extreme, writes APWU Executive Vice President Greg Bell. [read
more]
APWU
Denounces USPS Plans
to
Accelerate Closure of Mail Processing Plants
(03/27/13) “The APWU is outraged by USPS plans to accelerate the
closure of 71 mail processing plants that were originally slated for
possible consolidation in 2014,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “These
closures will eliminate jobs, harm communities, and delay mail delivery every day — Monday,
through Saturday,” he
said. The consolidations will drastically curtail local mail sortation
and will virtually eliminate overnight delivery. [read more]
Postal
Service Protection Act
Gains Co-sponsors
(03/21/13) Legislation to restore financial health to the U.S. Postal Service
has begun to attract widespread support in Congress, thanks in large part to
the efforts of APWU members. Soon after the Postal Service Protection Act (S.
316/H.R. 630) was introduced, local officers who attended an APWU National Presidents
Conference in Washington DC fanned out across Capitol Hill to make the case for
preserving the USPS without hurting postal workers or damaging the service we
provide citizens and businesses across the country. [read
more]
Rep.
Lynch Introduces
Postal Stabilization Act
(03/11/13) Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) introduced the Postal Service Stabilization
Act (H.R. 961) on March 5, a measure that would enhance the financial viability
of the USPS. The bill would require the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
to recalculate the Postal Service’s pension liabilities to the Federal
Employees Retirement System (FERS) using postal-specific salary and demographic
assumptions. [read more]
Union Urges
Lawmakers
To Support
Postal Protection Act
(03/11/13)
Local officers who attended the recent APWU National Presidents Conference
in Washington, DC made the rounds on Capitol Hill March 4 to build support
for the Postal Service Protection Act (S. 316/H.R. 630).
[read
more]
Tell Your Legislator:
Support the Postal Service Protection Act
(03/01/13) APWU President Cliff Guffey is urging postal employees to
ask their U.S. senators and representative to support the Postal Service
Protection Act (S. 316 and H.R. 630). “This legislation would go
a long way toward solving the Postal Service’s financial crisis.
It would make many of the planned cutbacks in service unnecessary,
give postal employees a greater sense of security, and give the American
people a Postal Service they can count on for the future,” Guffey
wrote in a mailing to union members, non-members and retirees.
[read
more]
APWU Asks Union Members
To Build Support for Postal Bills
(02/19/13) The APWU President Cliff Guffey is calling on union members
to ask their senators and representatives to co-sponsor a pair of postal
reform bills that were introduced in the House and Senate on Feb. 13.
The Senate bill (S. 316) was introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
with eight co-sponsors; the House bill (H.R. 630) was introduced by
Rep. Pete DeFazio (D-OR). [read
more]
Congress
Must Act Now,
Guffey Tells Senate Panel
(02/13/13) “The
crisis confronting the Postal Service is dire, but the demise of the USPS
is not inevitable,” APWU President
Cliff Guffey told a Senate panel on Feb. 13. “Congress must end the
mandate of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) that
requires the USPS to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees.
This requirement, which ostensibly was implemented to protect taxpayers
in the event the USPS ‘goes under,’ is instead drowning the
agency in a sea of debt,” Guffey said in a written statement. [read
more]
Guffey to Testify Before Senate Committee
(02/08/13) APWU President Cliff Guffey will testify before the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Feb. 13
about Solutions to the Crisis Facing the U.S. Postal Service.“I will tell
members of the Senate Committee that they have a solemn duty to save the
nation’s mail system,” the union president said. “The
future of the Postal Service is in their hands. [read
more]
The End Game
Privatizers
Say: Contract Out Everything But Delivery
(02/08/13) A document prepared by a group of “postal industry thought leaders” about
the USPS financial crisis reveals the “end game of those who want to privatize
the Postal Service,” writes APWU Executive Vice President Greg Bell. “Privatization
is the ultimate goal of those who are using the unsustainable mandates of the
PAEA as an excuse to dismantle the USPS retail and mail processing network,” he
says. While corporations like Pitney Bowes, UPS FedEx stand to benefit, he adds,
privatization would mean “more cutbacks in service and higher costs for
postal customers.” [read more]
APWU
Condemns USPS
Plans to Cut Service
Dismantling Postal Service Will Not Save It
(02/06/13) “The APWU condemns the Postal Service’s decision to eliminate
Saturday mail delivery, which will only deepen the agency’s congressionally-manufactured
financial crisis," said union president Cliff Guffey. "The USPS has
already begun slashing mail service by closing 13,000 post offices or drastically
reducing hours of operation, shutting hundreds of mail processing facilities,
and downgrading standards for mail delivery to America’s homes and businesses...
USPS executives cannot save the Postal Service by tearing it apart. These across-the-board
cutbacks will weaken the nation’s mail system and put it on a path to privatization." [read
more]
USPS
Accelerates Implementation
Of 18 Consolidation Sites
(01/22/13) Postal management notified the APWU on Jan. 17 of its decision to
accelerate the consolidation of 18 sites, moving implementation from 2014 to
2013. The 18 facilities were originally among 89 sites that management
identified for consolidation next year, in Phase 2 of a modified consolidation
plan that was announced in May 2012. In the Jan. 17 letter to the APWU,
the Postal Service wrote, “The reason for this change is that the Postal
Service has identified the opportunity to accelerate the anticipated savings
while still maintaining the interim SCF service standard.” [read
more]
The End Game
Privatizers Say: Contract Out
Everything But Delivery
(01/22/13) In January, a group of “postal industry thought leaders” published
a paper that advocates contracting out all postal functions except delivery — a
plan that is often referred to as “the last mile strategy.” The
paper, titled “Restructuring the U.S. Postal Service: The Case for
a Hybrid Public-Private Partnership,” helps us understand what’s
behind the current financial “crisis” at the Postal Service. [read more]
Guffey Tells Union Members:
Get Ready – The Fight Goes On
(01/03/13) Congress’ failure to enact postal reform in 2012 means
the legislative fight to Save America’s Postal Service goes
on, APWU President Cliff Guffey is telling union members. Postal reform
legislation that was introduced in the 112th Congress — but not signed into law — died on Jan. 3,
when the members of the 113th Congress were sworn in. “New legislation
must be introduced this year to reform USPS finances and undo the mess Congress
made when it passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) in 2006,” Guffey
said. [read more]
Convenient Untruths
(01/01/13) When the postal service
announced in November that it had incurred a $15.9 billion loss in
the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2012, newspaper editorial boards
and anti-government politicians cited the figure as proof that the
Postal Service is doomed. They bemoaned the USPS financial crisis and
called for privatization of the nation’s
mail system. Many blamed the Internet and some even attributed the
postal deficit to “excessive” labor costs. But those explanations
are just convenient distortions of the truth. [read
more]
PRC
Urges USPS to
Preserve Overnight Delivery
(10/02/12) In an advisory opinion on the Postal Service’s “Network
Rationalization” plan issued Sept. 28, the Postal Regulatory Commission
(PRC) urged the Postal Service to preserve overnight mail delivery and concluded
that "there is a point in the Postal Service’s cost curve beyond
which the additional savings captured are too small to justify the additional
reduction of service that would result." [read
more]
APWU,
USPS Negotiate Retirement Incentive
Employees to Receive
$15,000 in Two Installments
(10/01/12) The APWU has negotiated a retirement incentive agreement that awards
eligible full-time career employees a $15,000 payment in two installments, President
Cliff Guffey has announced. The first installment will be $10,000; the second
will be $5,000. “Our goal was to achieve an incentive for members who
are ready to end their postal careers; to ensure that no groups of employees
are excluded, and to lessen the hardships of excessing for those who remain,” Guffey
said. “This agreement accomplishes those objectives.”
[read
more]
House
Inaction Brings USPS To Brink of Default – Again
(09/28/12) House inaction to resolve the congressionally-manufactured
USPS financial crisis has brought the Postal Service to the brink of
default for the second time in two months, President Cliff Guffey is
warning APWU members.
The USPS has announced that, “absent legislative action,” it will
be unable to make a $5.6 billion payment to the U.S. Treasury to prefund future
retiree health benefits on Sept. 30. [read
more]
PRC
Dismisses
APWU Complaint
(09/12/12) The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has dismissed a complaint
filed by the APWU alleging that the USPS violated federal law when it began
implementing a plan to eliminate half of the nation’s mail processing
plants before the PRC issued an Advisory Opinion on the plan. Under
federal law, the USPS must request an advisory opinion from the PRC when it
makes nationwide changes in service. [read
more]
Management and Privatizers:
Reading from the Same Script
(09/01/12) Instead of developing a strategy to preserve the Postal
Service in the digital age, top management executives have been undermining
public confidence in the USPS — angering communities and lowering
employee morale with plans to close thousands of post offices, consolidate
hundreds of mail processing facilities, and cut service in ways that
will drive away customers and devastate our treasured institution. [read
more]
“It’s the De-Fault of the Republicans”
(09/01/12)
Rep. Barney Frank hit the nail on the head when he railed on the House
floor on Aug. 2 against Republicans who left Washington for a five-week
summer recess before completing the people’s business.
Rep. Frank (D-MA) pointed out that Republicans were not tackling critical
postal reform legislation and placed the ‘default’ of the
Postal Service squarely on their shoulders. Because House Republicans
failed to take action to resolve a congressionally-manufactured financial
crisis, the USPS was unable to make a $5.5 billion payment to the
U.S. Treasury that was due on Aug. 1. [read
more]
Postal Service Default:
A Congressionally-Manufactured Crisis
(09/01/12) The Postal Service’s default on a $5.5 billion payment
to the U.S. Treasury on Aug. 1 — and an expected default on Sept.
30 — is the result of a congressionally-manufactured crisis that
could have been avoided, the APWU charged over the summer. Although the
August default hasn’t had immediate consequences for mail delivery
or on employees’ pay, the Postal Service’s precarious financial
situation is forcing the agency to scale back overnight mail delivery,
close half of the nation’s mail processing centers, and slash hours
at post offices, APWU President Cliff Guffey pointed out. And businesses,
communities and individual customers are bracing for more severe cuts
in the months ahead. [read more]
APWU Members Tell Board of Governnors:
Follow the Contract; Save America's Postal Service
(08/31/12) Delegates to the APWU National Convention condemned USPS
management for their failure to adhere to the terms of the 2010 Collective
Bargaining Agreement and for their dismal response to the agency’s
congressionally-manufactured financial crisis. Dismantling the USPS
will only deepen the crisis, they said. [read
more]
Update
on Incentives
(08/02/12) As we reported in June, the APWU has been engaged in
informal conversations with management on financial incentives to encourage
employees to leave the Postal Service. Although no official offers have
been made, discussions are continuing, APWU President Cliff Guffey has
reported. “I understand that there is great interest in this topic
among some members, but it is simply not feasible or smart to conduct
negotiations in public,” he said. [read
more]
Congress’ Failure
Pushes
USPS to Brink of Default
(07/26/12) The failure of House Republican leaders to take action
to resolve the congressionally-manufactured USPS financial crisis
has brought the Postal Service to the brink of default, APWU President
Cliff Guffey is warning union members. A $5.5 billion payment is due
to the U.S. Treasury on Aug. 1, but the Postal Service cannot make
the payment. The default will have no immediate impact on mail delivery
or employees’ pay, Guffey noted. But the missed payment will
focus attention on the Postal Service — and many of the pronouncements
will be misleading or downright inaccurate, he warned.
[read
more]
Guffey Blasts House Leaders
(07/18/12) APWU President Cliff Guffey is blasting House Republican
leaders for their “utter failure to solve the nation’s problems.” Guffey
made the remarks in response to recent signals that the chamber won’t
act on postal reform legislation until after Congress’s August
recess – and perhaps not until after the November elections. In
light of the failure, the union president is calling on APWU members
to focus their attention on the upcoming elections. “The House
leadership’s inaction demonstrates the importance of changing the
politics in our country,” he said. [read
more]
President's Viewpoint
The Long and Winding Road to Real Reform
(07/01/12) Are you ready for a busy summer? I hope so, because it
looks like APWU members will need to spend much of the season persuading
members of Congress that enacting customer-friendly, worker-friendly
postal reform legislation is absolutely necessary — and urgent.
Although the Senate passed a bipartisan postal reform bill in April,
the Republican-controlled House of Representatives hasn’t
been in any hurry to address the issue — despite the fact that
the USPS is beginning to consolidate mail processing facilities and will
start downgrading service standards effective July 1. The Postal Service
also plans to slash hours at thousands upon thousands of post offices
in the near future. [read more]
USPS Plays the Perception Game
(07/01/12) On May 17, the Postal Service announced that it would
begin implementing a “new” network consolidation plan.
Unfortunately, the new plan is the same as the old plan. In February,
the USPS announced that it had approved 223 mail processing facilities
for consolidation, with six more still under study. On May 17, we learned
that the Postal Service intends to consolidate 48 plants before Aug.
31, take a break during the fall mailing season, and then consolidate
another 92 plants beginning in January 2013. Management intends to
consolidate 89 additional plants by the end of 2014 — for a total
of 229 mail processing facilities. The bottom line is the same as it
ever was: Cut the current mail processing network of 461 plants in
half. [read more]
Postal Legislation Stalled in House
(07/01/12) Ignoring the urging of numerous senators and many others,
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has signaled his intent to
bring to the House floor a postal bill that unions, customers, small
businesses and many legislators have condemned. In a memo to Republican
lawmakers dated May 25, Cantor said the GOP would work to bring H.R.2309
forward for consideration between the July 4 holiday and Congress’ August
recess. [read more]
PRC
Denies APWU Request to Halt July 1 Plan
(06/29/12) The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has denied the
APWU’s request for an emergency order to stop the Postal Service
from implementing its latest plan to consolidate the mail processing
network and reduce service standards until after the commission rules
on the union’s underlying June 12 complaint. “The decision
demonstrates the need to strengthen the commission’s authority
and to enhance public input into USPS plans that would affect service
on a nationwide basis,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. [read
more]
APWU
to Re-Air T.V. Ad
As Campaign to Defeat House Postal Bill Heats Up
(06/22/12)The APWU will air a revised version of one of its popular
television ads beginning on June 25, President Cliff Guffey has announced.
The ad will be broadcast through July, with spots airing on CNN, MSNBC,
and Fox News. “Rep. Darrell Issa and GOP House leaders are trying
to round up support for H.R. 2309, a bill that would destroy the Postal
Service,” Guffey said. “We must make sure that the American
people — and members of Congress — realize the danger
it poses.” [read
more]
Watch Your Mail, Tell Your U.S. Representative:
Stop
H.R. 2309, Vote NO!
(06/19/12) A bill that would destroy the Postal Service — and
our jobs — could be voted on in the House of Representatives
in July, and APWU President Cliff Guffey is calling on union members
to send their legislators a message: Vote NO on H.R. 2309! To
help APWU members send the message to Congress, the union will be
mailing a brochure to the homes of union members in the coming days.
President Guffey is asking all recipients to sign the postcard included
in the brochure, affix a stamp, and mail the card to their U.S.
representatives.
[read
more]
PRC
to Expedite Decision on APWU Complaint
(06/15/12) The Postal Regulatory Commission will issue an expedited
decision on a complaint filed by the APWU that seeks to stop the USPS
from implementing its network consolidation plan on July 1, the panel
has announced. The union filed a complaint on June 12 asserting that
the USPS cannot implement the changes without first obtaining an advisory
opinion from the commission. [read
more]
APWU
Files Complaint to Stop USPS
From Implementing Plan on July 1
(06/13/12) The APWU filed a complaint with the Postal Regulatory
Commission on June 12 seeking to stop the Postal Service from implementing
Phase 1 of its consolidation plan, which calls for the USPS to consolidate
48 mail processing plants this summer and to lower service standards
effective July 1. The USPS cannot implement the changes without first
obtaining an advisory opinion from the commission, the complaint says. [read
more]
APWU Tells Members:
Get Ready for a Busy Summer
(05/29/12) APWU members should get ready for a busy summer, union
President Cliff Guffey said as the unofficial start of the season got
underway. “We must continue to take our message to members of Congress and the American people,” he
said. [read
more]
Urgent Call to Action:
Contact Members Of Congress
During Memorial Day Recess
(05/21/12) The APWU and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union
(NPMHU) are asking their locals and state organizations to meet with
their U.S. representatives at their district offices during the Memorial
Day congressional recess, May 21 to May 29, to urge them to act now
to save the Postal Service from financial collapse. “APWU members
should urge House members to act on postal reform as soon as they return,
and use the Senate bill as a starting point for discussion,” said
APWU President Cliff Guffey. [read
more]
'Modified' Consolidation Plan Is More of the
Same
USPS Union Members Must
Fight Back, House Must Act Now
(05/17/12) USPS management announced on May 17 that it would begin
implementing a “modified” consolidation plan immediately,
but the “new” plan employs the same essential strategy as
the old plan: Impose drastic cuts to service and the mail processing
network, and eliminate tens of thousands of jobs. The only difference
is that the “new” plan will take a little longer to complete. [read
more]
House
GOP Passes Pay Cut For Postal, Federal Workers
(05/17/12) The
House of Representatives voted for a 5 percent cut in postal and
federal workers’ pay on May 10 by approving an increase in employees’ pension
contributions. Republican members of the House provided all 218
votes in favor of the measure, while 183 Democrats and 16 Republicans
opposed it. [read
more]
USPS Announces ‘Modified
Consolidation Plan’
Implementation to Begin This Summer,
No Specifics Provided
(05/16/12) The USPS notified the APWU today, May 16, that it has developed
a modified network consolidation plan and, “Now that the moratorium
has expired, consolidation activities will begin this summer.” However,
postal managers did not provide the union with a list of which facilities
would be affected and when. APWU President Cliff Guffey said, “The
Postal Service’s actions are the best evidence there is that union
members must contact their U.S. representatives and urge them to address
postal reform immediately, using the recently-approved Senate bill
as a starting point for discussion.” [read
more]
GOP Votes Pay Cut
For Postal, Federal Workers
(05/11/12) The House of Representatives voted for a 5 percent cut
in postal and federal workers’ pay on May 10 by approving an increase
in employees' pension contributions. Republican members of the House
provided all 218 votes in favor of the measure, while 183 Democrats
and 16 Republicans opposed it. [read
more]
Members of Congress
Seek Extension of Moratorium
(05/11/12) More than 100 U.S. representatives have signed a letter to
Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe, urging him to extend the moratorium
on the closure of post offices and mail processing facilities, and asking
him to refrain from cutting hours at rural offices.
[read
more]
APWU Urges House:
Address Postal Reform Now, Start With Senate
Bill
(05/10/12) As the May 15 expiration of a moratorium on the closure
of post offices and mail processing facilities approaches, the APWU
is urging the House of Representatives to address postal reform immediately,
and to use the Senate bill as a starting point. The USPS’ May
9 announcement about keeping rural offices open isn’t binding
and won’t solve the USPS financial crisis, so we must keep fighting,
the union says. [read
more]
APWU Statement
On USPS Announcement
About Rural Post Offices
(05/10/12) The APWU is continuing to analyze the Postal Service’s
May 9 announcement that it will allow rural post offices to remain
open, but with reduced hours. “We applaud the proposal to allow greater
community input on rural postal services and to keep offices open," said
APWU President Cliff Guffey, "but we are disappointed by the decision
to reduce hours at these offices." [read
more]
Fox News, Wrong Again!
(05/09/12) Fox News may have set a new record for inaccurate reporting
this week in a story about the Postal Service. The story, which was
broadcast on May 8 and posted on Fox’s Web site, frantically warns viewers
and visitors that because of a bill approved by the Senate, “taxpayers
may be on the hook for Postal Service losses.” The Web posting
even has a handy “taxpayer calculator” that shows visitors “how
much the bailout will cost you.” [read
more]
PMG: We Never Used the Word ‘Closure’
(05/04/12) In an interview televised on C-SPAN on April 27, Postmaster
General Patrick R. Donahoe down-played the threat of post office and
mail processing plant closures and suggested no major changes would
take place anytime soon. “‘Closure’ is a word we’ve
never used,” he said. Really? [read
more]
Senate Approves Postal Bill, Action Now Moves to House
(04/27/12) The Senate passed an amended version of the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) on April 25, and legislative action on postal reform will now move to the House of Representatives. [read
more]
Senate Approves Amended Postal Bill,
Next Up: The House of Representatives
(04/25/12) The Senate passed an
amended version of the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) on April
25 by a vote of 62-37. “Although
the bill is flawed, the amended version is far better than the original,” said
APWU President Cliff Guffey. “That is a result of the tremendous
effort of APWU members, postal customers, and elected officials who
appreciate the importance of the Postal Service to American life. Thank
you for your hard work.” [read
more]
Senate to Vote on Postal Reform Bill
APWU Members Must Let Senators Know Where
We Stand
(04/24/12) The Senate will vote on the 21st Century Postal Service
Act (S. 1789) on Tuesday, April 24, with action expected to begin after
2:15 p.m. Senators will be asked to consider a revised version of the
legislation, which the bill’s sponsors introduced on April 17,
along with up to 38 other amendments. [read
more]
Senate to Debate, Vote
On Postal Bill Starting April 23
APWU Members Must Let Senators Know Where
We Stand
(04/20/12) The Senate will debate the 21st Century Postal
Service Act (S. 1789) beginning on Monday, April 23, with voting set
to begin on Tuesday, April 24, as a result of an agreement by Senate
leaders. Senators will be asked to consider a revised version of the
legislation, which the bill’s sponsors introduced on April 17, along with up to 38
other amendments. “It is crucial that APWU members let their senators
know where we stand on this important bill,” said APWU President
Cliff Guffey. “With the moratorium on the closure of mail processing
plants and post offices set to expire on May 15, we must do everything
we can to improve the legislation,” he said. [read
more]
Senate Leaders Announce Agreement
On Amendments to Postal Reform Bill
(04/20/12) Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced
an agreement April 19 to consider 39 amendments to the postal reform
bill (S. 1789), with debate on amendments beginning on Monday, April
23. A cloture vote to end debate is expected Monday evening. If the
motion passes, voting on amendments will begin on Tuesday, April 24.
The APWU is reviewing the amendments, said Legislative and Political
Director Myke Reid. “We will call on union members to contact their senators
about the most important amendments,” he said. [read
more]
Senate
May Consider Amendments to Postal Bill
(04/19/12) The Senate could begin consideration of amendments to
S. 1789, the 21st Century Postal Service Act, on April 19. Seventy-nine
amendments were filed as of a 1 p.m. deadline on April 18, and they run
the gamut from provisions that would eliminate workers’ protection
against layoffs, to language that would extend the moratorium on consolidations,
to provisions to protect the benefits of injured workers. “The
revised version of S. 1789 is better than the original version, but we
continue to have serious concerns about several issues,” said APWU
President Cliff Guffey. [read
more]
Postal
Workers Picket
As Senate Begins Debate
(Updated
4/19/12) Members of the APWU and Mail Handlers Union rallied in front
of post offices around the country Tuesday to alert the public to looming
service cuts if Congress doesn’t act to fix the Postal Service’s
finances by May 15. [read
more]
Senate
to Resume Consideration of Postal Bill
(04/18/12) The Senate is expected to resume consideration a revised
version of S. 1789, the 21st Century Postal Service Act, with proceedings
broadcast and Webcast live on C-SPAN. The APWU denounced the original
version of the bill, saying it would lead to degradation of service and
the closure of hundreds of mail processing centers and thousands of post
offices.
[read more]
Senate
to Consider Postal Bill Today, April 17
(04/17/12) The Senate is expected to consider a revised version of
S. 1789, the 21st Century Postal Service Act, on Tuesday, April 17, with
proceedings broadcast and Webcast live on C-SPAN. The revisions were
announced late in the day on April 16. “We are analyzing the new
provisions carefully and will comment once we have completed our review,” said
APWU President Cliff Guffey. The APWU denounced the original version
of the bill, saying it would lead to degradation of service and the closure
of hundreds of mail processing centers and thousands of post offices. [read
more]
April 17 Plans Move Into High Gear
(04/13/12) Plans for April 17, Tax Day, are moving into high gear,
with hundreds of locals organizing activities. That day, the APWU
and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union will conduct informational
leafleting at post offices around the country to highlight an urgent
message: Congress must act now to avert a Postal Service disaster.
A moratorium on the closure of post offices and mail processing
plants expires on May 15, and postal officials have said they intend to begin
consolidating more than 200 mail processing facilities and 3,600
post offices if Congress fails to act by the deadline. The APWU
has posted a list of locals that will participate in the April 17 activities
to Save America's Postal Service. [read
more]
As Deadline Nears, APWU Keeps Up the Fight
(05/01/12) Time is running out. We are quickly approaching the May 15
expiration of the moratorium on the closure and consolidation of mail
processing plants and post offices. The moratorium is intended to give
Congress the opportunity to pass a bill to address the Postal Service’s
financial crisis — without drastic cuts in service and jobs. [read
more]
USPS Misrepresentations
Lead to Barrage of Criticism
(05/01/12) The Postal Service’s top management, including
Postmaster General Donahoe, has been drawing fire from all sides in recent
months, after a series of disturbing and embarrassing revelations. Criticism
of postal management started mounting after the USPS filed a request
with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) for an advisory opinion on
plans to degrade service standards — to eliminate overnight delivery
of most first-class mail and periodicals, and generally slow delivery.
Prior to the September request, postal managers had been telling legislators
and affected communities that consolidating mail processing facilities
would not affect service. [read
more]
Postal Reform – At the 11th Hour
(05/01/12) With the expiration of a moratorium on the consolidation and
closure of mail processing plants and post offices approaching, there
has been a tremendous amount of activity about postal legislation on
Capitol Hill — and a tremendous amount of activity in the APWU Legislative
and Political Department. The impending end of the moratorium has forced
politicians and interested parties to step up their efforts to solve
the USPS financial crisis. [read
more]
APWU Public Outreach Campaign Continues
(04/10/12) With tax filing
deadline quickly approaching, the APWU will re-air its Ever Wonder ad
beginning April 11, with spots airing on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and
Headline News. The union’s 30-second
ad describes the enormity of the job postal workers do, and ends with
a simple question and response: Ever wonder what this costs you as
a taxpayer? Not a single cent. The ad informs the public about the
work APWU members perform, and dispels the persistent myth that our
work is funded by taxpayers. The airing of the ad is timed to coincide
with two nationwide union-sponsored activities this month. [read
more]
One
Week Left; Lobbying Efforts Take Off
(04/09/12) APWU locals and state organizations are responding enthusiastically
to the call to lobby their senators during the congressional recess,
which began April 2 and ends April 13. In addition to rallies and
meetings with senators during the break, locals will conduct informational
leafleting at post offices around the country on Tax Day, April 17. With
time getting short, APWU President Cliff Guffey is urging all APWU
members to get involved.
[read more]
Union Calls for April Actions
To Save the Postal Service
(03/30/12) The APWU is asking state and local organizations to
participate in two nationwide activities in April: Lobbying your senators
at their home offices during the Easter recess, and informational leafleting
on Tax Day, April 17. “Time is running out for Congress to enact postal
legislation,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. The moratorium
on post office closings and plant consolidations expires on May 15. “Congress
must address the Postal Service’s financial crisis to avoid drastic
cuts in service and jobs,” Guffey said. [read
more]
PMG
Tells Congress: Take Postal Workers
Out of Federal Healthcare Program
Healthcare Expert Rejects Claim of
Cost Savings
(03/28/12) Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe urged lawmakers
to take postal employees out of the Federal Employees Health Benefits
Program (FEHBP) at a House hearing on March 27, claiming such a move
would save the USPS $7 billion annually. The PMG said the Postal Service
should be allowed to develop and run a separate health insurance program.
But Walton Francis, a federal health insurance expert, flatly rejected
Donahoe’s assertion. “Their proposal isn’t going to
save money... [and] would “massively disrupt or destroy the FEHBP,” he
said. [read
more]
Senate
Action on Postal Bill Expected in Mid-April
Use This Time to Advocate Union’s
Position, APWU Says
(03/27/12) The Senate is expected to vote on postal legislation
in mid-April, following a congressional recess, APWU Legislative and
Political Director Myke Reid has reported. The postal bill, S. 1789,
is expected to be the Senate’s first order of business when lawmakers
return to the Capitol on April 16. [read
more]
USPS Explanation of Secret Study
Is Misleading, Inaccurate, Union Charges
(03/26/12) The Postal Service’s recent attempt to justify the
decision to keep market research secret is misleading and inaccurate,
the APWU has charged. The research, which was conducted in August and
September 2011, indicates that revenue losses from the USPS plan to degrade
service standards could eliminate any potential savings from consolidating
or closing 223 mail processing centers. [read
more]
Senate
Vote on Postal Bill
Could Be Taken on Monday
(03/23/12) An amended version of a controversial postal bill (S.
1789) is tentatively scheduled for a vote during the week of March
26, and could be brought to the Senate floor as early as Monday,
APWU Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid is reporting. Details
of the final bill are unknown, however. The bill’s sponsors
have been meeting to discuss possible amendments, but have not released
information about their discussions.
[read
more]
USPS Market Research on Consolidations:
Revenue Losses Could Wipe Out Savings
(03/22/12) In testimony before the Postal Regulatory Commission
on March 21, a USPS witness made a startling admission: The Postal
Service’s initial research on the network consolidation plan
indicated that it could result in revenue losses of $5.3 billion, with
net revenue losses as high as $1.9 billion. Revenue losses of that
magnitude would virtually wipe out any cost savings derived from the
plan. The testimony, which was elicited during cross-examination by
APWU attorney Jenn Wood, undermines the rationale for the Postal Service’s
plan to close or consolidate half of the nation’s mail processing
facilities. [read
more]
OIG
Blog On Postal Solution
(03/16/12) The USPS
Office of Inspector General (OIG) is sponsoring five week-long blog discussions
on “the elements of a postal solution.” APWU President Cliff Guffey
was invited to present ideas on the topic, “What would an optimized Postal
Service infrastructure look like in the 21st century and beyond?” Click
here to view his response.
A Stunning Admission:
USPS
Hasn't Considered
Combined Effect of Proposed Changes
(03/13/12) In response to a motion filed by the APWU, the Postal
Service admitted March 9 that it has not considered the combined effect
of several of its major proposals, including plans to: Degrade service
standards; end overnight delivery for first-class mail and periodicals,
and slow mail delivery in general; Consolidate more than 220 mail processing
facilities; Close 3,600 post offices; Eliminate Saturday mail delivery,
and Raise postage rates. [read
more]
APWU Launches Next Phase
Of Television Ad Campaign
(03/13/12)
The APWU is launching the next phase of its television ad campaign, with
spots to begin airing on CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News on Wednesday March
14, President Cliff Guffey has announced. The ads also
will appear in a limited run on NBC Nightly News. In the new ads, postal
workers and customers talk about the importance of the Postal Service to
our nation — and
the devastating effect closing post offices and consolidating mail
processing plants would have on our communities and our economy. The
ads are slated to run through mid May. [read
more]
[where
and when to see the ads]
APWU Members Must Continue the Fight!
Of 264 facilities studied for closure, 223
were approved for consolidation. Six are still being studied. Only 35
consolidations were disapproved – at this time.
(02/23/12) The Postal Service’s announcement on Feb. 23 that
it has approved 223 mail processing plants for consolidation leaves union
members just one option, APWU President Cliff Guffey said: We must continue
the fight! “That means getting Congress to act now to Save America’s
Postal Service,” he said. In “stand-up talks” with
employees on Feb. 22, managers emphasized that consolidations would not
take place until after May 15, when a six-month moratorium on consolidations
expires. The moratorium was intended to give Congress “the opportunity
to enact an alternate plan,” postal officials pointed out.
[read more]
USPS Notifies Employees of Consolidations
APWU Continues to Oppose Plan
to Slash Service, Jobs, Network
(02/22/12) As the Postal Service notifies employees whether their
mail processing plants will be consolidated beginning in mid-May, the
APWU is fighting back. The union is continuing to oppose USPS
plans to slash service, eliminate 35,000 jobs, and destroy the mail distribution
network. In “stand-up talks” in offices all around
the country on Feb. 22, postal managers informed employees about the
future of their plants, but refused to tell the unions how many plants
would be consolidated and which plants they are. The USPS says it will
notify the unions and media on Feb. 23. [read
more]
UPDATE: The USPS has provided the APWU with copies of the “stand-up
talks” and the text of a video given to employees on Feb. 22.
The Postal Service did not provide the APWU with lists of the facilities
that fall in the various categories.
H.R. 3813 Update:
New
Hires to Pay More, Current Workers Still at Risk
(02/21/12) Current postal and federal employees won’t have
to pay more for their retirement benefits in order to fund an extension
of the 2 percent payroll-tax holiday passed by the Congress last
week, but new government workers will be required to pay 1.5 percent
more to fund another portion of the bill, which extends unemployment
benefits.
[read
more]
USPS
Five-Year Plan: Doomed to Fail
(02/17/12) The Postal Service’s latest five-year plan, which
it announced with great fanfare on Feb. 16, is “a warmed-over
menu of proposals that are doomed to fail,” said APWU President
Cliff Guffey. “The Postal Service cannot cut its way to financial
health. The USPS must modernize, improve service, and offer new products
in order to succeed,” he said.
[read
more]
Update:
Congress Refuses to Tax the Rich,
But New Postal, Federal Workers Must Pay
Current Workers Still in Jeopardy
(02/16/12) Published reports indicate that the latest deal to
extend the 2 percent payroll tax holiday would require only new postal
workers and federal employees to pay more for their retirement benefits.
The increase would be used to fund another portion of the bill, which
extends unemployment benefits. The latest compromise, which excludes
current employees from the increased cost, was reached at the insistence
of a group of Democratic lawmakers. The agreement has not been finalized,
and complete details of the agreement are not yet known. [read
more]
House
Panel Approves Bill
To Cut Postal, Federal Pensions
(02/09/12) A House committee approved legislation on Feb. 7 that
would cut pensions for postal and federal employees, while increasing
the contributions the workers must make toward their retirement. The
party-line vote was 22-16, with Republicans voting in favor of the
retirement cuts and Democrats voting against. “This bill is an
outrageous attack on postal and federal employees,” said APWU
President Cliff Guffey. “Some politicians are quick to cut benefits
for middle-class workers, but they fight to the death to protect tax
breaks for the super-rich.” [read
more]
APWU
Members Urged to Take Action
As Senate Considers Postal Reform
(02/06/12) Postal reform is a hot topic in Congress as the Senate
prepares to vote on the 21st Century Postal Service Act, and
APWU President Cliff Guffey is urging union members to contact their
senators and let them know: Senate bill 1789 is unacceptable in
its current form. As lawmakers review the bill, Guffey is asking
union members to let their senators know that S. 1789 must be amended. [read
more]
Senate to Vote on Postal Bill
APWU Members Must Take Action NOW!
(01/27/12) The APWU has learned that the Senate will consider
postal legislation very soon, and President Cliff Guffey is asking
union members to contact their senators immediately and tell them that
the 21st Century Postal Service Act (S. 1789) is unacceptable in its
current form. “The
stakes couldn’t be higher,” Guffey said. As currently written,
the bill would give the USPS some short-term financial relief, but
also would inflict long-term damage to the nation’s mail system,
he said. [read more]
Postal Workers Have the Right
To Speak Out Against Facility Closures
(01/18/12) Recent notices posted by management have generated
questions about APWU members’ right to participate in activities
opposing the closure of postal facilities. Off-the-clock, postal
employees have the right to: circulate petitions, participate in
public meetings, encourage others to attend public meetings, encourage
local merchants and business organizations to speak out against postal
closings, and to contact elected officials to urge them to oppose
postal closings. [read
more]
Do You Know Where Your Legislators Stand?
(01/01/12) Lately, USPS management seems hell-bent on destroying
the Postal Service — and some members of Congress have appeared
eager to help. In December, however, in response to protests by postal
workers, small businesses and community leaders, 22 senators
persuaded the USPS to adopt a five-month moratorium on the
closure of post offices and mail processing centers. The
moratorium is intended to give Congress more time to adopt legislation
to address the Postal Service crisis. [read
more]
Postal Service Gets It Wrong Again
Slashing the Network Won’t Save
the USPS
(01/01/12) Among the Postal Service ’ s major plans for
solving the USPS financial crisis is to slash the mail processing network — to
close or consolidate as many as 252 of approximately 460 mail processing
facilities. Wrong again! The Postal Service notified the APWU
on Sept. 14 that it would study the feasibility of consolidating
more than half of its mail processing centers as part of a nationwide
plan to cut costs. The next day, with great fanfare, Postmaster General
Patrick Donahoe announced the plan to the media, and presented it
as an essential component of resolving the Postal Service’s
financial difficulties. But the reality is quite different. In fact,
the Postmaster General’s
prescription would do more harm than good.
[read
more]
